iCall The Shots
by intoxicatingsober
Summary: Carly, Sam, and Freddie are all sixteen. High School is bringing a lot of changes to the iCarly crew, and when romance sparks, where is Carly left to stand? Rated M for language and mature themes in later chapters. R&R.
1. Introduction

**I do not own iCarly. This place is called _Fan Fiction_ for a reason. Just enjoy the story.  
Rated M for language and mature themes. Don't say I didn't warn you.  
Reviews are adored.**

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_**Wake up the members of my nation  
It's your time to be  
There's no chance unless you take one  
And the time to see the brighter side of every situation  
Some things are meant to be  
So give me your best and leave the rest to me**_

**Carly.**

I had never expected things to turn out this way. I mean, sure. I loved them both. Hell, I still do.

Just not as much as I did before all of this.

I'm sorry. I guess I lost you.

My name's Carly Shay. I live in Bushwell Plaza, in Seattle with my brother Spencer. He's an artist/inventor . . . or at least that's what I think he aims to be. He's also my legal guardian since I haven't seen my dad since I was in the sixth grade.

My parents? Well, my dad's in the Navy and is currently swimming with the polar bears in the Arctic Ocean. Yeah, he's stationed on a submarine. Just thought I'd get that out there so there's no confusion.

My mom died when I was two, I think. I never really knew her. It was cancer or a car accident or a plane crash or something. I don't really know. We don't talk about her much. We never really did.

Oh, you want to know a little more about me? Well, there's not all that much to know.

I'm sixteen years old, as of January 14th. I'm a straight-A student at Ridgeway High School (iGo Sharks!/i). I have dark brown hair that I've taken to wearing in curls over the past year or so, and my eyes are pretty much the same color. I'm definitely not the most unique looking girl around, but I'm pretty well known anyway. I like to think of myself as the responsible one in my group of friends. Y'know, keeping Freddie and Sam from eating eachother's heads.  
Sorry. Make that, keeping Sam from eating Freddie's head and Freddie from going into depression from Sam's constant torture and my constant rejection.

Oh yeah. Sam and Freddie are my best friends. Freddie lives just across the hall from my at Bushwell Plaza, and we've been friends for just about ever. He had this weird kind of crush on me up until last year, when he got sick of chasing a girl who would never want him the way that he wants her. I can't say that I'm disappointed; rejecting Freddie was getting harder and harder as we aged.

Sam is probably the rudest, roughest, weirdest, and most awesome person I've ever met. She's been my best friend since the sandbox, even though I was kind of afraid of her back then. I learned that she's not all that bad once you get to know her. She's actually really funny, and strangely smart. Sam is just extremely lazy, which gets her dumped in detention constantly. She and Freddie were always fighting. I was feeling like a referee up until a few months ago.

I guess that's just about all that there is to say about Miss Carly Shay.

. . . Oh, I also run a website. Oops. Guess I forgot to mention that part.

I'm the founder, co-producer, and star of iCarly, a webcast run by yours truly and her two favorite weirdos. It's no big deal; just me and Sam joking around and being ourselves on camera (with Freddie doing all of our technical fun stuff). Somehow this iCarly website turned me and Sam into some kind of celebrities in town, and in some parts of the country, actually.

Pretty cool, right? Yeah, I think so too.

But, hey. This story isn't about me.  
This is about all of us.  
Sam. Freddie. Spencer. Dad. Me. All of us together. You still following me?Good. Now try to stick with me with this. I'm sure I'll lose you before this is all over.

I guess it all started six months ago.  
We were filming a new iCarly episode, when things went horribly wrong in every way imaginable.  
Or at least in my mind


	2. iWent on a Date

**I don't own iCarly or any of the actors, damnit.  
This chapter is longer than the introduction. Hope you enjoy it.  
Maybe chapter two will be even longer.  
-gasp-  
****Don't forget to R&R.**

**_~ Tox_**

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**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret,  
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret  
Hope that you can keep it,  
My dirty little secret.  
Who has to know?_**

**Carly.**

I was sitting in my living room, watching some TV. Okay, so I wasn't really paying that much attention to Spongebob Squarepants today. Which was kinda strange, considering it's one of my favorite cartoons. I glanced at the silver watch on my wrist, a birthday gift from Freddie and Sam. Those two were supposed to be here at my apartment a half hour ago. How was I supposed to explain the late episode to my- er . . . _our_ fans?

Just as I was planning the speech in my head (Sorry everybody! Freddie's too damn lazy to walk three steps to my apartment, and Sam's probably arrested!), the devil herself strolled in through the door. She flopped down on my couch like she owned the place (which she practically did), and popped a stick of bubble gum into her mouth. She chewed on it loudly and obnoxiously . . . it was such a typical Sam thing to do. She rose her hand up in a half-wave, her signature smirk set onto glossed lips.

Hold up. Glossed? As in, lip gloss? Since when did Sam wear _lip gloss_? I also noticed that she was wearing a slight bit of eyeliner, and . . . was that_ pink eyeshadow_?! There was something totally messed up about this situation. Sam never wears make-up, let alone so much for no apparant reason. There was something up, and when Freddie fell through the door reeking of expensive-smelling cologne, I knew that I was missing something huge.

"Hey Freddie," Sam greeted in her usual half-asleep Sam tone.

"Hi Sam," Freddie replied, a bit too cheerfully.

I rolled my eyes before grabbing Sam's arm and dragging her off the couch. "C'mon, you two. We're thirty-eight minutes late for our episode and we totally need to get this thing done!" I exclaimed. I didn't have to drag Sam anymore. She and Freddie were both following me to the elevator, and we were in the attic in no time at all. Freddie ran to his tech station without hesitation, flicking the camera into his hand and on record in a matter of seconds, a result of years of practice I'm sure. Sam and I got into position, me with an impossibly huge smile spread across my face, and Sam with her smug little grin. Freddie held up his free hand, mouthing our cue.

_In three . . . two . . . one._

"Hey everybody!" Sam and I shouted in unison.

"Sorry we're a bit late today, guys. Sam and Freddie are getting old. They're not as speedy as they used to be, if you know what I mean," I joked, expertly dodging the playful punch that Sam threw at my shoulder.

"Yeah, we're a tad slow. Homework, detention . . . and in Freddie's case, dork-club, are really starting to hold us back," Sam said happily. Freddie gave her the death glare behind the camera, which she returned with a quick flash of her tongue. Freddie and I rolled our eyes simultanously.

"Anyway, since we need a little extra time to get some... er-props? Uh, yeah. Props." Why was I stumbling? I never tripped over words. This was way too weird.

"Yeah, so while we're getting props and replacing Carly's brain, check out a new _Messin' With Lewbert_!" Sam said quickly. Freddie gave us the signal, then hit a button on the laptop.

When we heard the commotion from the lobby on the laptop, I let out a sigh of relief. "So, what are we gonna do, exactly? We didn't exactly plan anything for this week," I said frantically. Normally I was the calm, level-headed one. But I was really freaking out. I've never done a webcast without at least _some_ ideas. Then again, high school threw a lot of homework and some new parties at us, making iCarly a bit lower on our list. And I had to admit, Freddie and Sam's new weirdness was really _not_ helping.

"How about we do that brain surgery?" Sam teased, picking up a toy saw from the table. Freddie grinned at her, then laughed while looking at my forehead suspiciously.

"Y'know, that might actually work," he chuckled. He picked up a black Sharpie and stepped towards me. Before I could protest, Sam was holding my hands behind my back and Freddie was drawing a dotted line along my forehead.

"Okay, okay! Fine! You can give Carly a brain transplant! But I'm not cleaning it up!" I laughed.

The sound of Lewbert's scream told us that our break was over. Freddie picked up the camera, hovering his finger over the button to return us live. Sam dashed to the other side of the room and wheeled out a table. I tossed a paper table cloth onto the surface before diving on it. I laid flat, my eyes closed and a smile plastered almost painfully to my face. I heard Freddie say, "Action!", and Sam start laughing.

"Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed our _Messin' With Lewbert_, and if you didn't, then just turn off your computer now and go watch some cable porn."

I had to admit, since we turned sixteen, Sam's jokes were getting a bit more vulgar. Well, it didn't really matter much. The new, older Sam was getting us more views than we could have ever imagined for a webcast as old as our's.

I stayed still while Sam rambled on about some things that she must have figured sounded scientific or smart or whatever. Next thing I knew, she was sawing at my head with the toy, laughing with Freddie while she pulled out more and more plastic things. I felt a hammer, a drill, and even a . . . okay, was that a _toothbrush_? Finally, she gave up with a deep, light-hearted sigh.

"I guess Carly's head is harder than we thought," she laughed. I opened my eyes, sitting up like we had planned.

"Oh, c'mon now. I'm sure we'd need a _jackhammer_ to get through your thick skull!" I teased. Sam laughed, tossing the tools down.

"Well, I guess that means we've got to give back Freddie's brain," she sighed. "Darn. I was hoping you could give it more use than he did." Freddie stuck his tongue out at her behind the camera.

"Guess that's it for today's show. We'll see you next week!" I chanted, waving with Sam as Freddie counted us out and ran the laugh-track. When he hit the off button, Sam practically danced over to his tech station.

"So, ah . . . Carly," she started, leaning casually against the table. "You going at anything tonight?"

I looked up, a bit confused. Sam normally never asked what I was doing. She just kinda came to my house and crashed there until her mom realised she was gone . . . which was usually around the same time Spencer kicked her out . . . every night. "Well, no. Not really," I said uncertainly, swinging my legs over to dangle off the table. "I was kinda thinking us three were going to watch some movies like we do every Friday. I've got this pretty good horror flick for tonight!" I smiled at them, but it faded when I noticed the weary looks that they exchanged.

"That's the thing, Carly. We kinda have . . . uh, other plans," Freddie murmured.

"Yeah. Like, Freddie has this mother-son date thing, and I'm visiting my uncle Sid in jail," Sam added.

I didn't want to believe them. But, Sam really made it all sound so convincing. I didn't want to admit that this wasn't going to be a usual Friday night.

"Your uncle Sid?" I managed to say.

"Yeah. He promised me some of this awesome Belgian chocolate or something if I came to visit him tonight." It was almost amazing how she skated across the lie like it as nothing at all. Once again, it must have been the result of years of practice.

"And mom's gonna buy me a new memory card for my digital camera if I go on this stupid date!" Freddie finished, smiling a little too wide.

"Um . . . okay then? Uh, have fun," I said, waving to them as they made their way to the stairs.

"Later," they said together.

I frowned, making my way over to the elevator slowly. It took me down to the living room, and the door opened in time for me to hear them talking in low voices.

"So, we're still on for our date tonight?" I heard Freddie say.

I _really_ hoped he was talking to his mom at the door. I peeked my head out through the elevator, holding my breath unintentionally. The only ones I saw were Sam and Freddie standing at the doorway together. Wait, were they holding hands?

"Duh. I wouldn't lie to Carly for nothing," Sam said matter-of-factly. She had to reach up on her tip-toes, considering that Freddie was now at least three inches taller than us since the summer, and kissed him quickly on the lips.

Freddie looked pretty stunned, his eyes widening noticably. "Uh. Um. Ah . . . great!" he stammered. He opened the door, letting Sam slip out in front of him. I noticed him slide his hand into his pocket after crossing his fingers, then close the door as he left.

I fell into the back corner of the elevator, my knees giving out, causing me to slump to the floor. I stared blankly at the wall in front of me when the door closed. Sam and Freddie? _My_ Sam and Freddie? _Dating_?

I was totally missing something huge here.

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**Samantha.**

I had to wait in Freddie's living room while he ran to his room to get something. My best bet was that he went to change his underwear. I smirked to myself, knowing that I must've really shocked him with the kiss. I wasn't normally one to kiss on first dates, but, what the heck. It was only Freddie. I mean, he's my best friend. A little kiss couldn't hurt.

He stumbled down the stairs, fixing his black t-shirt when he regained his composure. "Uh, ready?" he asked, sitting next to me.

"Where are we going, anyway?" I asked, only then realising that we hadn't actually planned anything. And I was sure that Freddie didn't have any surprise lined up. He was too crappy at being sneaky to do anything like that without me figuring it out.

"I . . . don't actually know," he said, staring blankly at the TV across from us. I could practically see him beating himself in his mind. I had to smile. He was kinda hot when he hated himself.

"I'll give you some suggestions, babe," I teased. "A, go to a movie. B, go to a restaurant. C, stay here and watch some TV. Or D, kidnap kids from the daycare and force them to be our slaves and fetch us coffee." I smirked at him. "I'm kinda leaning towards that last one, to tell the truth."

Freddie laughed, but it sounded kind of forced. He was still obviously pissed at himself for not putting more thought into our first date.

"How about we just go out for coffee and cut the kids some slack?" he said with an innocent grin.

"Meh, sounds good. Only if you fetch it for me," I joked.

"As long as you don't make me wear a collar."

"Oh darn. You ruined the surprise."

He laughed, putting his arm around my shoulder. I stood up, leaving him looking a bit like an idiot there on the couch with his arm around nothing at all.

"Well, c'mon stud muffin. I'm dying to be impressed," I said, motioning for him to get his ass in gear.

"After you, miss Puckett," he said in his best attempt to sound sexy, standing with the door opened in front of me.

"Thank you, mister Benson," I sighed, sliding out through the door. My hand caught the neck of his shirt, tugging him out with me. I swear I felt his body temperature double when my fingers brushed his throat. He grasped my hand when I let it fall to my side, giving it a gentle squeeze as we started walking down the stairs. Why he kept making us take the stairs, I didn't actually know. But I _do_ know that he would kind of stumble a bit when I came a bit too close. Just rubbing my arm against his or accidentally tapping his ankle with my foot would make him blush furiously. I could hardly hold back my laughter.

By the time we reached the lobby, I had managed to contain my laughter, but it didn't last for long. I glanced over at my _favorite_ doorman, and almost choked on the giggle that errupted from my lips. Freddie looked over to the thing that had caught my interest, and his mouth fell open into a perfect "O". He covered his mouth with his free hand, turning away from the Lewbert who was still trying to pluck out all the feathers that were superglued to his face. I had to admit . . . we really outdone ourselves with this week's booby trap for _Messin' With Lewbert_. I almost regretted missing it to make plans for the show.

Before I knew it, Freddie was leading me into the little coffee shop down the road from Bushwell Plaza. It was called "Kipper's Kup" or something like that. All you really had to know about the place is that it was small, cute, and served the best coffee in Seattle.

Kipper's Kup was run by old Ms. Kipper, some geezer who had this thing for making crazy coffee recipes. About three years ago, she went and opened the coffee shop, and serves her homemade coffee to anyone who will pay it. It was a pretty small place, basically just dark stained wood everywhere you looked. The floor was a mocha brown, which was appropriate for the strong smell of Ms. Kipper's "homebrew", as she liked to call it. The walls were half covered with the same wood as the floor, and the rest was a cream colored wallpaper. There were only six places to sit at Kipper's Kup; two booths to the back of the shop, and four little tables with two chairs to each one. The tables were those cute round things like you see set up outside of bigger cafes and restaurants for sunny days. Me and Freddie made our way to the booth furthest in the back, and sat across from eachother on the black leather seats. I leaned against the wall and propped my feet up on the cushion comfortably. Sighing, I glanced over to see Freddie staring at his hands nervously.

"I'll have a mint mochachino. Extra mint," I commanded, smirking at my nervous date. He looked up at me with his usual Freddie-scowl that he reserved for me, then watched it melt into sincere grin. I tossed a five dollar bill onto the table. "Keep the change," I said. He shook his head, pushing the money back to me.

"Not a chance. I'm paying," he said.

"Well then. A whole two-fifty. Freddie my man, you're the best date I've had in years," I teased. He rolled his eyes at me playfully before sliding out of the booth. I heard his sneakers thudding on the hardwood floor. "Evening, Ms. Kipper. I'll have a large regular and a mint mochachino," he said at the counter.

"Extra mint!" I called out. I heard old lady Kipper chuckle.

"Here with miss Sam tonight, Fredward?" she asked in that innocent old lady voice that we all saw through. That was one thing that I loved about Kipper. She wasn't a sweet little old lady like my late grandmother or any other old people that I knew. She was rough around the edges, and pretty funny. Plus she grew her own mint and it was crazy strong.

"Yeah. Thanks, Ms. Kipper. You can keep the change," Freddie replied softly. I didn't hear any change clattering on the counter, so I figured that he had passed her a five. Well, wasn't he just Mr. Generous tonight? I was actually pretty proud of myself. I _really_ knew how to pick 'em, didn't I?

"Your mochachino, m'lady," Freddie said, sliding the cup over to me. I caught it, lifting it to my mouth to sip casually. I pursed my lips, making a small popping noise when the mint struck my tongue. Gee, Kipper really went strong on the mint tonight. I swear, my mouth wouldn't have tasted so fresh if I chewed a full pack of Excel.

"Did I tell you that you look amazing tonight?" Freddie said quietly, leaning towards me on the table. He took a long drink from his coffee.

I merely shrugged. "Yeah, you look pretty hot yourself. And I dig the cologne," I smirked. I sipped at my mochachino while a blush crept up Freddie's neck until his ears burned a brighter red than my t-shirt.

"Thanks. It's my uncles," he admitted with a small laugh.

"Then I have _got_ to check out your uncle one of these days," I teased.

Freddie made a face. "Uncle Gerald?"

Now it was my turn to make a face. Freddie's Uncle Gerald was totally _old_!

"Nevermind," I mumbled. He laughed at my reaction.

Coffee at Kipper's seemed to last forever. We didn't do all that much, just drinking and talking and joking like we normally did. If he hadn't blushed at every compliment or dirty remark that I made, I never would have even guessed that we were on a date. When we finished our talk on how we would torture Lewbert next week and finished our drinks, we left the coffee shop. Seattle was lit up with a million lights, but I didn't really notice because Freddie had flagged down a taxi to take me home. It was almost eleven, and his curfew was in a half hour, so he decided that by the time he got me home and payed the taxi driver to get him back to Bushwell, he'd be pushing his curfew and out of money.

The ride to my house wasn't all that long. When the taxi driver pulled over on the curb, Freddie held my hand a bit tighter, a silent plead to stay for just a moment longer. I turned to face him, and our eyes locked. I blinked twice, tilting my head to one side in confusion. Why did he look so afraid all of a sudden? Freddie took my actions the wrong way, and leaned in, planting the softest, sweetest, and most incredible kiss of my entire life on my lips. I kissed him back tenderly, the entire world freezing around me when his fingers traced my jaw line. He broke the kiss, breathing in the shots of breath that escaped from my parted lips. We stared at eachother intensely, but once again, Freddie was the one to break the connection.

"Good night, Sam," he whispered, kissing my cheek swiftly.

"'Night Freddie," I replied, trying to sound as casual as possible with my heart pounding in my ears.

I tumbled out of the car and stood at the door of my run down old bungalow, waving to Freddie until the taxi squealed it's way in the direction of Bushwell Plaza. As I opened the door and stumbled into my house, I was wondering if I should ask a doctor if it was normal to have your heart stop with the most simple of kisses.

And then I was horrified, because only then did the image of me and Freddie leaving Kipper's Kup hit me. I hadn't realised that there was somebody at the second booth. Somebody that I knew. Somebody that I would never harm.

I fell to my bed with the realisation that Carly had seen the whole date.


	3. iFell in Love

**I own nothing.**

**Enjoy this chapter. It's probably the only bit of calm that you'll get for the rest of the story.**

**Thanks for reading, and I'm dying for more reviews. **

**Thanks to SquishyCool for being the only one to review so far. xD I love your stories, by the way. Keep it up, for my sake. :3**

**PS- Don't forget to R&R!**

_**~ Tox**_

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_**& I'm alive, but I don't need a witness**_

_**to know that I survived,**_

_**I'm not looking for forgiveness**_

_**Yeah, I just need light,**_

_**Light in the dark as I search for the resolution**_

**Carly.**

I staggered out of Kipper's Kup at exactly eleven-seventeen. Ms. Kipper had come to the booth I was slumped over in, and handed me a small cup. I had asked her what it was, but she just smiled at me and walked back behind the counter. Ten minutes later, she returned to tell me that it was closing time. I had been sitting there, staring at the amber liquid in the cup like it held the answers to life. Even as I slid out of the booth, the strange drink in my hand, Ms. Kipper hadn't told me what exactly she wanted me to be drinking. All I knew was that I was horrified, shocked, and hurt beyond repair. My best friends had lied to me. Both of them. Wasn't I trustworthy enough?

At eleven-twenty one, I was sitting with my back against the coffee shop. I swirled the drink around in the cup, staring absently into the darkness that seemed to hold the entire city in it's grasp. Like some kind of God or higher power, the darkness could control a person's activites, change their moods, and even take their lives if it wanted to, I'm sure.

And as I sat there against the shop, my brown eyes set firmly on the busy street in front of me, I found myself longing to be swallowed up into the night. I watched for hours it seemed, observing blankly as the night swallowed even the Seattle traffic. Only a few cars passed my seat outside of the Kup, and I noticed a few busy women staring at me suspiciously, probably thinking I was some pregnant teen with no home. One even hesitated in front of me, seemingly looking for some extra change in her pocket. I noticed her pull a quarter from the pocket, then frown at me when she realised that my cup was occupied. I shot her a death glare when she walked away. Damn nosy adults. Trying to stick their faces into someone else's business. Even though . . . I didn't really know what exactly my business was.

I didn't really know anything anymore.

All I knew was that my friends had distanced me.

And that I had no idea how to deal with it.

At twelve-thirteen, only the occasional taxi would pass me. I hadn't moved for almost an hour. Hardly even breathing. A group of boys, not much older than me, walked by on the other side of the street. One of them peered over in my direction, and his face froze for a few moments. His friends had gone on ahead of him, not noticing that he was even stopped until one tried to speak to him.

"Right, Key?" the tallest boy of the group asked. When "Key" didn't reply, the tall boy turned around with a scowl set into his features. "Yo, Earth to Key! _Kegan_!" he practically yelled.

Kegan looked up, utterly stupified. His mouth hung open for a few moments, staring silently at his group of friends. A few of the boys snickered, but the tall boy, apparantly the leader, was scowling at the speechless red head. When he didn't reply, the leader cleared his throat in an official, threatening manner. Kegan merely raised his arm and pointed his index finger across the street.

"There's some girl over there," he said, just loud enough for me to hear. His voice was smooth and silky, reminding me a lot of a calm ocean or those bad guys that you see in movies that try to steal the girl. Even though he was obviously intimidated by the group's leader, his voice didn't give away any emotion apart from composure as steady as stone. I couldn't hear it all that well, but I could have sworn that I heard a chuckle tumble from the leader's lips.

"Do you know the girl?" the leader asked suspiciously. I saw him sneak a glance my way, and my eyes fell down to the cup. The drink was still just floating there, untouched.

"Naw, man. Never seen her before." I heard Kegan reply smoothly.

"That so now? Guess we should go introduce ourselves," the leader said.

The rest of the group laughed, and I could feel them all looking in my direction now. One of the boys in the group said something that I didn't quite catch, but whatever it was, it made the others laugh. By the time I looked up from the cup, the boys were standing over me. There were five of them, the leader there in front with his arms crossed against his chest and a smug grin set onto his lips. A shorter, pale boy stood at the leader's left, and a muscular intimidating guy stood next to him. At the leader's right hand, stood Kegan, looking rather uncomfortable. I swallowed audibly, forcing the most convincing, composed smile that I could manage.

"Evening," I said, my voice coming out high-pitched and squeaky. This made the boys laugh, even Kegan smirked.

"Isn't it a bit late for a cutie like yourself to be out on her own?" the leader drawled.

"Yeah, you could get yourself hurt," the pale boy sneered.

I shook my head a bit harder than I should have. "It's a quiet neighborhood," I stammered.

"In the daytime," the leader said.

Kegan scowled at the leader. "Chill, Jude. She's not doing anything to you," he said irritably.

The leader, Jude, glared at Kegan from the corner of his eye. "So what?"

"Just leave her alone, man."

The two argued for a few moments while I sat there, completely stunned. The quiet, muscular boy was eyeing me suspicously while the pale boy silently cheered Jude on with a wide, mischevious grin.

Next thing I knew, Kegan was pulling me to my feet by my wrist. I stared at him with wide eyes, my free hand not loosening it's grip on the cup. The rest of the group gave the red head a dirty glare.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. I didn't even know this guy, and here he was, holding my wrist. I didn't know what he was going to do. Was he going to hand me over to his friends? Drag me back to his place and have his wicked way with me? Beat me to death in an ally and leave me to die?

As I was considering all the possibilities in my head, Kegan had started dragging me away from his friends.

When we were a block away without the group coming after us, he started to talk.

"Why are you out so late?" he asked, pursing his lips.

I glanced over to him, noting that his eyes were the bluest of blues that I had ever seen. They put the sky and sea to shame. I mean, there had to be some color to describe the blue that they were. Kegoise? Cerukegan?

I hadn't realised until he narrowed his Kegoise-Cerukegan-Blue eyes that I hadn't answered his question.

"Uh, I was just . . . chilling?" I replied uncertainly. What else was I supposed to tell him? Hell, _I_ didn't even know why I was out so late. Spencer must have been out of his mind with worry.

"Damnit! _Spencer_!" I cried out, startling Kegan.

"Who's Spencer?"

"My brother. He doesn't know where I am. _Shit_! I forgot my phone at home!" The cup had started to shake, spilling some of the liquid onto my shoes. I hadn't realised that it was my own shaking hand that cuased the waste.

"Okay then?" Kegan replied uncertainly. "Where do you live, anyway? I'm kinda walking you home . . . I think."

"Bushwell Plaza," I replied. Kegan nodded. I had no idea how his eyes could still sparkle when there was hardly any light at this hour.

"What's that in your hand?" he asked suddenly, staring down at the cup. I had to tilt my head upwards to see him, considering he was fairly taller than me. It was no real accomplishment, but I was used to only a few inches in difference.

I looked at the liquid, biting down on my lip in confusion. "I'm not actually sure."

Kegan took the cup, sniffing it. He smirked, then raised an eyebrow at me. "You mind?"

I shrugged. "Go for it."

He downed the drink in only two mouthfuls, his lips puckering when the taste struck him full force. "Whiskey," he confirmed, shaking his head to rid himself of the after effect. He smirked at me. "Now, what's a girl like you doing with whiskey in a cup at one in the morning?".

"Staring at it," I replied with a grin.

"Makes sense."

We found ourselves outside of Bushwell all too soon. Kegan lead me in through the swinging front doors. I didn't say a word until we were standing outside my apartment.

"Thanks," I murmured.

"Anytime. Um, actually, would you mind if I called you some day? If that's, uh . . . cool with you?" he laughed nervously.

My eyes lit up when a grin spread across my lips. "Yeah, sure. Uh, here. Pass me your hand," I said. He handed me his left hand, and I scribbled on it with the eyeliner in my purse. I stuck my tongue out as I wrote my cell number on the back of his hand.

"Thanks. I guess I'll call you sometime . . . wow. I don't know your name." He blushed, running his fingers through his messy red hair with a slight laugh.

I blushed as well. We hadn't exactly had a formal introduction, had we? "Carly. Carly Shay." I held my hand out to him, smiling at how stupid this must have seemed.

"Kegan. Kegan Tanner."

"Guess I'll see you some other time. 'Night Kegan."

"I might call you tomorrow. Y'know, if you're not busy." He chuckled. "'Night Carly."

I waved to him until he disappeared inside the elevator, then slipped into my apartment. I was trying to be sneaky, but Spencer was waiting for me. I froze against the door, smiling in a very bad innocent way at my brother giving me the death glare on the couch.

"Where have you been?" he asked calmly.

"Kipper's Kup," I said guiltily.

"Kipper's closed at eleven. It's one in the morning, Carly." He wasn't mad. I knew he wasn't. But I did know that he was disappointed, and worried out of his head. He had the phone there at his side, and if I had to bet on it, I would say that he had been calling around for me all night.

"I got caught up. Uh . . . me and Sam went to see a movie and then she wanted chilli so we went to her place, and I . . . uh, I had to walk home." I was normally a bad lier, but this one was surprisingly convincing. Spencer knew just as well as anyone that Sam would get me in any amount of trouble if it meant that she would get some chilli in her system. Plus, Spencer wasn't at the apartment when Sam and Freddie left for their . . . ugh, _date_.

I noticed Spencer's eyes light up at the mention of me and Sam hanging out. "Oh. Okay then. I guess you should call and tell me next time, alright Carly?" he smiled sympathetically at me. "Now get to bed. It's late!" he ordered in mock authority. I rolled my eyes at him playfully.

"Yes, sir!" I giggled, skipping up the stairs to my bedroom.

Somehow, I ended up spending that night in a dreamless sleep. No thoughts of Sam, or Freddie, or Sam _and_ Freddie plagued my rest. No thoughts of life in general struck my mind. Nothing but blackness and sleep met me that night.

Somehow, I had forgotten all about the betrayal. The lies. Up until nearly the end of the night, I saw nothing but the dark. But I remember vaguely a piercing blue striking my vision before I awakened.

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**Freddie.**

I didn't notice much on the taxi ride back to Bushwell. The entire time I had let my fingers linger on my lips, trying to see if I could keep Sam's lipgloss pressed there forever. By the time I got into my apartment, my mind was clear, my lips were swollen, and my pockets were empty. I knew that mom was asleep by now. She wasn't into staying up late. I stripped off my clothes, leaving me in just my boxers. I tossed my clothes into the laundry room before running up the stairs and diving onto my bed. The sheets felt nice on my bare skin, keeping me from the cold. I busted my heater just last week, and my room's been like an ice box ever since. How I busted my heater, I wouldn't be able to tell you, but it was majorly pissing me off.

I shivered unvoluntarily beneath the blankets, but I don't figure it was from the cold. I was thinking about Sam. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Since last month, at least. She was the only thing on my mind. The only thing in my eyes. The only thing I could taste. The only thing I could feel. Without realising it, Sam Puckett had become my life.

She was more than just my best friend and constant pain in my ass.

She was the air that I breathed. The world that I lived in. The only one in the universe that even mattered to me.

I fell asleep that night with the smell of her strawberry lipgloss strong in my head and words tingling the inside of my mouth.

_I love her._


	4. iFeel Jealous

**So, as I write this chapter, I'm sipping hot chocolate and watching Total Drama Island.**

**And, yes. I **_**did**_** just burn the tastebuds from my tongue with the hot chocolate.**

**And yes, it **_**does**_** sting like a bitch.**

**But, anywho, this chapter is a bit more dramtic. Or something along those lines.**

**That's what I aim for.**

**I think?**

**Thanks for the more reviews, guys. You're really encouraging me. :3**

**Ohmai. Heather's a real jerk. And Tyler can't play dodgeball if his life depended on it.**

**Yeah, it's a re-run. I've seen this one like, fourty times. xD**

**Why am I watching it for the fourty-first, you ask?  
Well, because I really don't want to study and procrastinating is my thing.**

**And here's your fun fact of the day:**

**Cowboy hats **_**are**_** turn-on's.**

**Don't forget to R&R. :33**

_**Tox.**_

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**Sam.**

It must have been the apocolypse. I had awakened before noon on a Saturday. I mean, I didn't even know there _was_ a 9 AM on Saturdays. I kinda just figured that it went from 4 AM when I finally crashed from my sugar rush, to 7 AM, and then just skipped to noon. But, apparantly, there was indeed a 9 AM, because that's what my alarm clock was reading in blinking red numbers. I kinda just laid there on my side, hugging my pillow to my cheek and staring at the clock.

9:01 . . . 9:05 . . . 9:28.

By the time the numbers had changed to ten o'clock, I rolled out of my bed. The blankets tangled around my foot, and fell onto the floor with the rest of my body. I curled myself into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest until I could have stuck my tongue out and licked my shin (which I didn't). My eyelids felt heavy again, covering my blue eyes. "Oh, _now_ I can sleep?" I muttered, stifling a yawn. I forced myself to stand, though I didn't know why. I knew that by now mom and dad had scattered off to work. I could practically see them now, giving eachother a long, passionate kiss in the kitchen before scampering out the door. Dad diving into his car while mom started walking down the street to the flower shop a block away. Sometimes I almost felt as if I was nothing more in their relationship than the prize. They loved eachother so much, that their reward was me.

At this thought, an evil smirk graced my lips.

Gee, they must've been disappointed.

Then again, I was their gold. Nothing more than a decoration to show off to their guests. "Oh, look there. That's the prize we got for being in love. Isn't she just beautiful?" I came with a plaque, the blue eyes that mirrored my mother's proving that I was her's. My blonde curls showing that I was my father's. And my full lips and fair skin made me a combination of the two. I mean, I practically read "Number One Lovers. Mr. & Mrs. Puckett. April 15th, 1993".

I walked down the hall, collapsing into the chair at the kitchen table. I stared at the half-empty cup of coffee that my mom had left in her rush to get to work. The morning newspaper was scattered in sections across the table, the sports page laying open at my dad's spot on the table. I dragged my feet across the linoleum floor until I was leaning on the counter. A box of poptarts were sitting next to the toaster. I opened two packages, dropping the four pastries into the toaster. I sighed heavily, then a strong scent floated past me from the table. Coffee. Not as strong as Kipper's, but it was still the distinct smell of coffee.

The previous night struck me with so much force that I recoiled, curling into myself and clutching my stomach. My heart sent a short jolt through my body. I didn't know why I reacted this way, but the smell of coffee and poptarts was suddenly replaced by Freddie's cologne, and the faintest bit of strawberry that still clung to my lips began to resemble Freddie's mouth.

I fell to the kitchen floor, my head beating backwards into the cupboards. I squeezed my eyes shut, still clutching my stomach. My heart jolted again, sweat beading my forehead. The poptarts burned in the toaster, but it didn't even matter to me.

He was the only thing I could think about. The air that I breathed. The world that I lived in. The universe now revolved around Freddie, and only Freddie. The realisation hit me harder than the memory of last night did.

_I love him._

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**Carly.**

It was two o'clock in the day before I woke up. The ringing of my cell phone on my nightstand forced me to jump into conciousness, looking around frantically. I glanced at my phone, flicking it open before I was fully awakened.

"Heycarlyherewhatisit?" I mumbled into the phone, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. I choked on my yawn when I heard Kaleb's voice on the other end.

"Afternoon, sunshine," he chuckled. "Just waking up?"

"Uh, yeah. Wait, afternoon? What time is it?" I looked around for my alarm clock, but it had disappeared. There was a crash downstairs that made me smile unintentionally. Right, Spencer needed it for a new sculpture. Why he needed it, I didn't know.

"Two," he replied.

"Wow. I never sleep this long."

"Guess there's a first time for everything."

"Guess so."

There was a brief silence, just my heartbeat and his faint breathing on the other end to keep the quiet from deafening.

"Sooo. Any particular reason you woke me up?" I asked gently.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I was wondering if you wanted to catch a movie with me tonight," he said, laughing a bit nervously.

"A movie?" I repeated, pausing before I would answer. "Um, do you mind if I bring a friend? Or two?" I smiled to myself

He was quiet for a moment, then I heard him laugh. "A double date?" he asked.

"Yeah. Actually, that sounds just about right," I laughed.

"Alright then. I'll come get you at eight. Later."

"Later."

I closed the cell, tossing it to my nightstand. I fell back to my bed, grinning like a mad woman. Wow. I had a date.

And so did Freddie and Sam. Damnit.

I picked up my cell phone again, dialing Sam's number quickly. She answered on the third ring, sounding a bit distance.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sam. It's me," I said breathlessly. I heard her start to say something, but I cut her off. "No, don't start. I know you and Freddie dated. I'm not mad. I'm kinda surprised. But, I have a date with a guy that I met last night and I sorta told him that me and him would have a double date with you and Freddie."

I could imagine Sam's mouth hanging open in shock, maybe a bit of anger, but she surprised me with a laugh.

"Gee, breaking the news to you was easier than I thought," she laughed. "Sure. Go tell Freddie when to be ready. I'll be over your place in a few hours, 'kay?"

"Sounds good. I'll see ya later, Sam."

"See ya."

Great. My friendship crisis was settled. I had a date. I guess the only thing I had left to do was get ready. I jumped out of my bed, stretching my arms outwards as I yawned again. I skipped down the stairs, humming cheerfully to myself. When I reached the living room, all joy that had built up inside my body exploded violently, burning my heart and causing my stomach to lurch painfully.

There was a man sitting on the couch, holding hands with some pretty blonde woman. The man's hair was dark, his eyes almost the same color. His eyes were crinkled with the sincere smile set deeply into his strong, aging features. He had a hint of a beard, the stubble faintly noticable in the lighting. The woman beside him had spikey blonde hair that framed her creamy face. She had a large, pearly smile that seemed to radiate cheerfulness. Her eyes were a pale green that looked almost eerie compared to the rest of her perfectly even self. She seemed quite a bit younger than the man holding her hand, but noticably older than Spencer. I also spotted a ring on her left hand, and my heart caught in my throat.

I didn't know this man, but I wasn't stupid. I knew that the man sitting on my couch was my father.

"Carly," he said, smiling gently at me. "This is Anna. She's going to be your new mom."

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**Sam.**

I burst into Carly's apartment around six, and immediately wished that I had stopped at Freddie's place first. At the first step that I took into the apartment, I could feel the tension as thick as Carly's chilli on a bad day. I frowned, placing my hand on my hip. I waved uncertainly with my free hand at the two adults on the couch. Spencer and Carly sat across from them. Spencer's smile looked pretty forced, and Carly looked like she was on the verge of tears. The guy on the couch looked kinda familier, but when I saw his face, I knew that he was Carly's dad. They looked a lot alike. The same cheekbones, same eyes, same hair. The only thing I couldn't see similar about their faces was their lips. Carly had her mom's full lips, while her dad's were pretty pulled in and pale.

"Hey, dudes. Ready to go, Carly?" I asked, smiling uncertainly at Mr. Shay. The woman, on the other hand, I didn't know at all. She was pretty, no doubt, but looked the slightest bit uncomfortable in the tension. I couldn't blame her. Hell, even I was ready to run for it, and I practically lived here.

Carly looked up at me, thanking me with her eyes a million times over. "Uh, yeah. See ya, Spence. Dad," she paused, staring at the woman sympathetically. "Anna." She nodded to them, and dashed to my side, dragging me out the door. I closed it behind me, my back pressed against it. She stared at me, looking years older than she really was. "Holy hell, Sam. He's getting _married_," she groaned.

My mouth fell open, my eyes bulging out of my head. "_Married_?!" I hissed, the word like poison on my lips. "Geeze, Carly! What the fuck is he thinking?!"

Carly shook her head, staring at her feet. Even when she was sad, she was still beautiful. Her hair was curled and pulled back into a ponytails, two strands hanging down one each side of her face. Her lips were red from biting them in discomfort, her small hands balled into tight fists. Her mocha eyes were wide with fear, anger, and hope. She was wearing a black long-sleeve shirt with flowers sneaking up the side and twirling across her chest and a pair of jeans that hugged her slim figure. I had to admit, I was jealous at how beautiful she could be when she didn't even try.

"What's she like?" I asked quietly.

"Nervous. Smart. Nice. Perfect," Carly muttered, glaring at the floor like it had bit her.

"Intimidating?"

She looked up at me, smiling the slightest bit. "Extremely."

Freddie slid out into the hall, staring at us with his head tilted to one side. "Is it time to go already?" he asked, glancing down at his watch. "It's only . . . uh, six-fifteen." He eyed us both suspiciously, but I noticed that his eyes lingered on my face longer, a smile shadowing his features for the slightest moment.

"Yeah, Carly has family drama. Yo, Shay. Call your man and tell him to meet us at the Kup. We've gotta get outta here before Freddie's mom gets out here and goes parental on our asses." I smirked, trying to lighten the mood. Carly laughed, taking out her cell as we made our way to the elevator. Sam, you amaze even yourself sometimes.

Freddie grinned, taking my hand when we got in the elevator. It seemed like we hadn't seen eachother in years, when in reality it had been less than twenty-four hours. The way that our hands fit together though, was completely perfect in every way. It's like we were made for eachother; we had been born to be together. My hand fit his, his lips fit mine. Every part of us were perfect for eachother.

Carly was chatting away with Kegan on her phone, laughing sometimes. I'm sure she was trying to just pass the time. Hell, if I was her I'd be scratching at the door to get out. Being alone with my two best friends who happened to be "together" is like hell on Earth.

Kegan was sitting at the booth me and Freddie had occupied the night before. I had to admit, for a street boy, he was pretty hot. Carly actually landed herself a good one this time around. I smirked at the thought of her previous love interests. Mr. Cheap, Mr. Acne, Mr. Stoner, Mr. Pervert, and (my personal favorite), Mr. Gay.

But this Kegan guy didn't seem that bad. His entire face lit up when he saw Carly, and waved to her casually. He had red hair that flicked out from under the black cowboy hat that sat ontop of his head. He had this charming little smirk that actually reminded me a lot of mine, only more mature and a helluvalot more practiced. Plus his eyes were just gorgeous. He stood up, letting Carly sit on the inside of the booth, and I noticed that he had a few inches on Freddie. I winked at Carly when I sat across from her, nodding my head.

I approve.

When I finished studying Kegan, my attention turned back to Freddie. He had his arms crossed against his chest and his lips stuck out a few inches. It was either jealousy or disapproval, but I could tell that he was giving Kegan a harder mental examination than I had.

"So, when are we gonna go to the movie?" Carly asked cheerfully.

Kegan glanced at his watch, then frowned. "Well, it's a ten minute taxi drive to the mall, and then we've gotta wait in line, so . . . yeah, let's just go now." He smiled at us, slipping out of the booth. Me and Carly nodded in agreement, while Freddie just snorted and jerked his head a bit.

We flagged down a taxi quicker than usual. Kegan sat in the front and started talking to the driver like they were old friends. Carly and I whispered about her date, giggling to ourselves, and Freddie just kept his gaze set firmly on the older boy in the front seat, his lips still stuck out like he smelled something nasty.

I was actually really glad when we got out of the taxi, because the tension coming from Freddie was almost as bad as the one at Carly's place.

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**Freddie.**

I didn't like Kegan.

I didn't like the way he looked at Carly. I didn't like the way he smiled at her. I didn't like the way she seemed so into him.

And I _really_ didn't like that Sam couldn't take her eyes off of him.

When we finally got in the movie (a romantic comedy. Surprise, surprise), I had Sam's hand before she could even get the chance to breathe in the smell of popcorn. She gave me an odd look, and I shrugged. She smiled to herself, and I thought that she understood. The four of us sat in the very back, but none of us really paid attention to the movie at all. Carly was caught in between watching the movie and watching Kegan. I glared at them both, then took Sam and forced my lips onto her's. She made a small noise in the back of her throat, but it wasn't protest. It was shock. It was amazement. And as I intensified the kiss, it was approval.

My hand snuck to the back of her neck, holding her closer to me. She kissed me back tenderly, lovingly, then pulled away to breathe in deeply. We locked eachother's gaze, not daring to look beyond that for even the slightest moment.

Kegan cleared his throat, causing Carly to giggle. I shot him a dark glare, then smirked, leaning forward to give Sam a short kiss. When I looked up again, Kegan was frowning at me. I set a smug grin into my features, raising an eyebrow at him.

Bring it on, street boy.


	5. iWant You Bad

**Sorry, still don't own iCarly.  
****Anyway, it's been a while since my last update due to many many excuses.  
****THE SEVEN REASONS TOX HASNT UPDATED:  
****I've been sick. My laptop had a trojan virus and needed to be reformatted. The weather sucks. School's a bastard, don't cha know? CHRISTMAS IS COMING. Twilight the book / movie and Midnight Sun are addicting.  
****And the seventh reason Tox hasn't updateeeeeeeeed,  
****She's a lazy jerk.  
****-who can't rhyme words-**

**So, I'll be replying to some of the reviews now! -cheers- A'ight. So, how to do this? Guess I'll start with Squishy...**

_**SquishyCool:**_** Yeah, Kipper's a crazy old lady who gives out whiskey in a cup. She's a cool old lady though, and I'm thinking of bringing her into the fic a bit more. And the wedding? Oh, just wait for it. It's gonna be epic unless I find some way to completely crusify it like I do with every other idea I have.**

_**Hyperactivecheskie**_**: I'm not entirely sure where the relationships are going in this, honestly. XD No, seriously though, I don't. -shot'd- I think I'm leaning towards Seddie and Cegan, but I'm thinking out some Creddie and I dunno who the hell to throw in with Sam if that happens. I guess all I can say is to keep reading to see what my twisted mind can come up with.**

**DONE. Woot. Okay, so, Tox has a question for **_**YOUUUUUUUUU**_** now!  
****Oh yes.  
****She does.  
****-evil laughter-**

**Okay. Anyway. What song should be featured at the beginning of the next chapter? I'm open for suggestions. (:  
****If I choose your song you get an internet cookie.  
****Go you.  
****=]]**

**Alright. Enough of that.  
****Fun fact for the day: Orange juice is the devil in liquid form.  
****Also, nothing rhymes with orange.  
****Besides "Mornge", which I call my best friend.  
****Please do not ask why.**

**PLUS, this chapter is dedicated to the song, "I Want You Bad" (hence the title) by The Offspring. You'll see why.  
****Plus this one is long.  
****So go grab your hot chocolate or liquid devil and enjoy.**

**PS; Please excuse the fact that my lame attempt at being witty at the beginning of the chapters is probably more interesting than the story itself. Seriously, though. Why are you reading this crap? It's not that great. xD**

_**~ Tox**_

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_**Your one vice,  
**__**is you're too nice  
**__**Come around now, can't you see?  
**__**  
I want you, all tattooed  
**__**I want you bad.  
**__**Completely, mistreat me  
**__**Want you to be bad.**_

**Carly.**

A lot can happen in a month.

You can lose a family member. You can change your entire appearance. Your birthday can come and make you a year older. Your favorite T.V. show can be cancelled because the star's marijuana garden got busted. You can get your period again. An epic band can split up. Your pet can die.

Or, in my case, your best friends can start going steady, you get a new boyfriend who you're totally into, your brother brings home some girl from his night classes at the university, and you can be stuck in your house helping plan your dad's wedding to Ms. Perfect.

Oh yeah. What a month it was.

And as for the situations listed above, guess who's Aunt Flow decided to visit right before she had to drag her ass around town _all_ day looking for her soon-to-be-step-mom's wedding dress?

It was a single bad day to ruin the entire month.

I awakened on the thirteenth of December, a Saturday. I knew the moment I opened my eyes that it wouldn't be a good day.

To start things off, it was raining buckets outside. Not that it was uncommon for Seattle, but the middle of December? The rain was pounding on my window, and the sky was dark and depressing. The second thing I noticed was that there was something uncomfortably warm, sticky, and wet clinging to my thighs and pyjama pants. That was when I realised that my period had come three days early, which was strange considering I was never off schedule.

Then, the third thing that came along that terrible Saturday morning, was Anna's silky voice carrying up the stairs and into my room.

"Carly, sweetie! Breakfast is ready!"

Okay, so apparantly Anna worked on the submarine for quite a few years, but dad never really noticed her 'cause she kept to herself a lot. Eventually, when they were on shore somewhere, dad finally noticed the blonde goddess and made his move. They went on a few dates, went back to the submarine, and then, without telling us, dad got off work for a full two years and didn't even give us a hint! Apparantly, he ran off with Anna into the sunset and fell in love. Then, two months ago, he proposed to her on the sub while they were watching polar bears swim.

Polar bears are Anna's favorite. And she makes amazing French toast. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that when I went downstairs (after cleaning myself up and changing my underwear and pyjama pants), Ms. Anna-The-Goddess was wearing a bright red robe with smiling polar bears over her pyjamas, and five plates of French toast sitting at the table. Spencer wasn't there, and neither was his new girlfriend. Julie slept over last night, surprise surprise. She had been crashing here almost every night since Spencer hooked up with her. My money is still saying that he's only with her so he'll have a date to the wedding.

Anywho, me, Anna, and dad sat around the table and munched on breakfast peacefully like a normal family would. I mean, we even had casual chatter. I think I need to pick up some mousse at the salon today. Is that a new pair of earrings, Carly? Dad, can I get my belly button pierced? So, Anna, dear... what flowers do you want for your bouquet? Carly, will you be my maid of honor?

Okay. Maybe not that casual.

I dropped the bottle of syrup the moment Anna asked me the question, my mouth hanging open stupidly for a few seconds before I could gather my voice and answer. But what was I supposed to say? I was honored that she would ask, really. But, she wasn't my mom. I've never been in a wedding before. And then out of nowhere just be the maid of honor for my stepmother?

"Uh, yeah. I... I guess so?" I answered, forcing a nervous smile. Of course, Anna blew my helpless attempt out of the standings without even trying. She pulled back those perfect pink lips, revealing her perfect rows of perfectly white teeth, smiling a perfect smile before giggling the slightest, most perfect little wind chime giggle. Then she tucked a perfect strand of perfect hair from her perfect head behind her perfect ear with her perfectly manicured fingers.

Was it even legal for someone to be so . . . _perfect_?

"I was actually thinking of having Sam and Julie as bridesmaids, as well," she mused, smiling thoughtfully. I just nodded, staring at the French toast sitting half-eaten on the plate with the maple syrup.

"Well, Spencer is my best man. I'm thinking of getting some of my old friends to come along as my groomsmen, but I'm also considering young Freddie across the hall. Y'know, since he helped my darling Carly become a star," my dad flashed me a fond grin. "And he also practically lives here. It'd be nice to have your friends at the wedding too, wouldn't it Carly?" I nodded absently.

I had to admit, Sam and Anna had really kicked it off. After the double date, Sam came back to sleep at my place for the night. I introduced her to Anna and the three of us watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special while dad and Spence ran off to look for tuxedo rental places. Turns out opposites really do attract with Sam. There was my best friend, so rough and hard and border-line criminal, laughing and practically adoring my animal-loving, French toast-cooking, goody two shoes stepmother-to-be. It wasn't a bad thing, though. I actually liked that Anna and Sam were getting along. It saved me a lot of headache, that was for sure.

"So, I guess that just leaves the dresses, right Carly?" Anna chimed. I looked up from the plate, completely dumb struck and clueless.

"Huh?"

Anna smiled sympathetically at me. "How about you give Sam a call, get dressed, and then the three of us and Julie will go looking for dresses!" She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe we should bring Spencer, too. For a second opinion. What do you think?"

I nodded, actually smiling genuinely at the thought. "I'll give Kegan and Freddie a call, too, then," I sighed. Maybe third and fourth opinions wouldn't hurt, either.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get dressed!" Anna said in mock authority, grinning widely. I smiled back, giving her a teasing salute before scrambling up the stairs. I pulled a t-shirt and an old pair of jeans from my closet and dashed to the bathroom, which was surprisingly unoccupied. I had a quick shower, shaving my legs in case some of the dresses were a bit shorter than I was imagining. Hey, you can't say I didn't think things over. The thick scent of my cherry blossom shampoo clouded the bathroom, making me smile contentedly. The smell always soothed me, made me forget my worries. When I got out of the shower and dressed, my worries were slowly coming back. By the time I started combing my mocha hair, my worries had hit full force. I threw the comb down and dropped to my knees in front of the toilet, holding back my wet hair so the half-digested French toast could make it's way back up.

Did I mention that my periods come with terrible cramps?

Anna was the first to notice. She came gently into the bathroom, frowning at me as I vomited, coughing and gasping for the faintest breath.

"Aunt Flow?" she asked, kneeling beside me to hold my hair. I nodded weakly, before another wave of nausea crashed over me. Anna clicked her tongue, humming soft tunes until I couldn't throw up anymore. I held my middle, a pathetic whimper coming from my parted lips.

"Do you need anything?" my soon-to-be-stepmother asked. I shook my head, frowning at the tile floor. Anna merely shrugged and stood up, flushing the toilet with me still kneeling there on the floor.

God, I hated being a girl some days.

Three minutes later, I hadn't budged, and Anna came back with a glass of water and a small tablet. I took the pill without hesitation, but even swallowing the water made my stomach roll.

"We can put dress shopping off for another day, dear," Anna hummed.

"No. I want to go today," I mumbled against my better judgement.

I never knew that such simple words could make me so miserable.

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**Spencer.**

I loved Julie. I knew I did.

My heart jumped everytime I saw her face. My thoughts raced everytime I heard her voice. I longed for her touch every moment of every day.

Thanks to Julie, Saturday nights became my favorite time of the week.

You see, Saturday nights were "treat nights". Basically, I got to have my own way with her. Whatever I wanted, I got. Sex? Any position I wanted. Hey, maybe I'd go gentleman and just watch a movie. Maybe I'd be especially nice and let her choose. But all I knew was that, on Saturdays, I _always_ got my way.

It was eleven in the morning before I woke up. The curtains in my room were drawn, the lights were turned off, and my door was closed to create an artificial night. I stretched my arms out, draping one around Julie's shoulder. She was curled into a ball, her knees drawn tight to her chest. She wasn't wearing much; a short white tank top that showed off her lacy pink bra and a pair of my boxers. Her the corners of her mouth where turned down, frowning in her sleep. Her lips were still the slightest bit red from my kiss goodnight. There was still a bit of red left on her closed eyelids from the eyeshadow she wore to dinner last night. Her mid-back light brown hair was falling across the pillow in every direction, then draping over her shoulder where my arm rested.

She was beautiful. I loved her.

I must have made a noise or smiled too wide, because Julie awakened not long after I did. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her large emerald orbs. She stared at me for a moment, then smiled. "'Morning, Spencer," she cooed, uncurling her body and stretching. The tank top lifted up even further, giving me a good look at her bra. I cleared my throat, looking away to save myself from what I was saving for tonight.

"'Morning, love," I murmured, leaning towards her to give her a soft kiss. She made a low growl in the back of her throat, her hand snaking up my back and tangling in my hair. She pulled my closer, making small whimpering sounds, asking me to go further. I parted her lips with my tongue, and a battle for dominance began. It wasn't hard for me to win, I could say that much. Julie wasn't one to fight for long. After I tangled our tongues for just a few moments, she gave up and let me win.

Julie wasn't in our relationship for the sex, or for the dominance, or for the place to sleep at night. She was with me because she loved me. She told me every night, and I told her the same. She was all I ever really needed. She was comfort, belief, life itself. Julie, my soul. My air. My love.

She started moving her hand down my chest, until her fingers were hooked on the waistband of my boxers. I pulled away, biting my lip and rolling away from her. I cursed myself a million times in my head when I heard her groan in protest.

"Spence-ER!" she whined, crossing her arms against her chest in disapproval. I turned back to her, smirking. "Tsk tsk. Not until tonight, love," I whispered, placing my index finger on her lips.

Julie pouted, her eyes narrowing viciously. "I hate Saturdays," she grumbled.

"I love you too," I laughed, jumping out of bed. I walked over to my drawer almost soundlessly, pulling a shirt on over my bare upper half. Julie stayed curled on my bed, the sheets pulled up to her chest, still pouting.

"Where are you going?" she purred, though the irritation in her voice still shined through.

"Shower," I replied simply.

I opened my door to head out to the bathroom, but was cut off by Anna in the hall.

"Oh! Spencer!" she exclaimed, looking a bit shocked to see me. I smiled, waving to her.

"Hey Anna. Did you, uh, need anything?"

"Yeah, I do actually," she laughed. "Me, your sister, Sam, and Julie are going to look at dresses for the wedding today, and I was wondering if you'd like to come along for a second opinion."

I shrugged. "Sure. I didn't have anything else planned for today."

"Oh, that's great Spencer. And I think Carly is getting Kegan and Freddie to come, too. So you won't be alone."

"Sounds good, then. You should go break the news to Julie," I frowned. "I forgot to tell her that she's standing for the wedding. Sorry."

Anna laughed half-heartedly. "That's alright, dear." She slipped past me, about to go into my room, but paused when she realised where I was headed. "Knock before you go in the bathroom," she added with a sigh.

I looked at her questioningly.

"Carl'y sick," she sighed.

"Ah. Got it." I moved on, stopping when I reached the bathroom. I knocked on the door three times, just to make sure. There was no answer, so I opened the door. The room was empty, but the mixed smell of sick and cherry blossoms met me. I shook off the heavier smell and slid into the shower.

The room was swirling with steam when I opened the curtain. I wrapped the towel around my waist and dried my feet before going back to my room. Julie was gone, so I just assumed that she went back home to get ready. It didn't take me any time at all to get ready. I mean, I wasn't a girl. Pull on a t-shirt, slip into a pair of jeans. Socks here, deodorant there, run some fingers through your hair, and done.

When I went out to the living room, it was only me and Anna. From the giggling I heard upstairs, and a very loud, "**YES, CARLY!** Kegan is going to like that shirt, and if he doesn't, I'll **kick his **_**ASS**_**!**", I figured that Sam and Carly were still getting ready. Or, at least Carly by the sound of Sam's groans.

"Girls, please, just choose something already and let's _go_!" I heard Freddie complain.

I looked at Anna, tilting my head to one side. Anna shrugged, smiling fondly. "Carly insisted on having someone besides Sam help her pick out a shirt. Plus she's mood swinging, so it's taken her four tries to put on her make up since it's not very waterproof."

I couldn't help but laugh. Poor girls and their menstrual cycles. It was days like this that I was glad to be a guy.

I opened my mouth to say something else to Anna, but was cut off by the thumping of teenage feet racing down the stairs. Freddie, Carly, and Sam all stood in a line; Carly looking a bit paler than usual, and maybe even a hint of green; Sam looking ultimately bored (what a surprise); Freddie looking longingly at Sam. I knew the three well enough now, having Sam and Freddie as much as my siblings as Carly. I knew that Freddie was head over heels for Sam, and that Sam wouldn't admit it, but she felt the same way. She had such a tough exterior, and I had to hand it to her... she hid her squishy inside pretty well. Hm, Sam... squishy? I almost had to laugh at that. But... hm. Sam... soft and kind? That was so hard to believe, but I knew it was true. Why else would she look at Freddie with those big blue eyes?

Big beautiful blue eyes.

Our doorbell interrupted my thoughts, my head snapping in the direction of the door. Carly almost broke her neck getting to the door. She skidded to a hault, then patted down her shirt before opening the door.

The guy standing in the doorway was around my height, but he was a lot lankier than I was. I mean, lugging sculpting supplies everywhere gave me quite a bit of muscle, but this kid's brawn looked like it was all in his arms. He was wearing a pair of baggy blue jeans with a noticably rip in the left knee. The jeans were too low for my liking, especially since this kid was my little sister's boyfriend. I mean, he was showing off his boxers like crazy. He had a black raincoat on, which was drenched from all the rain that was still beating down outside. His red hair was flicked out from under a black baseball cap.

It's not that I didn't like Kegan Turner. Hell, he was actually a pretty cool guy. It was just... he seemed too rough to be my sister's boyfriend. Carly was always a goody two shoes, and I was frightened to death that Kegan would turn her into someone that I wouldn't recognize.

And I didn't like the way she looked at him like he was the entire world.

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**Sam.**

So, our shopping crew tumbled into the cars. Spencer took Kegan and Freddie in his car, following carefully behind Anna in her blue Prius. Anna and Julie sat in the front, talking about floral arrangements and invitations while me and Carly stayed in the back making bets on what Kegan and Freddie's reactions would be to the fashion show we would be putting on for them.

Even though I had already figured that Carly was on her period, she was making it pretty obvious all on her own. She was moody beyond belief, and the way she would curl into herself sometimes, clutching her stomach, gave everybody the hint that she was suffering from serious cramps.

Was I ever glad that mine wasn't due for another two weeks.

We reached the dress shop in twenty minutes, and I hated the place already just looking at the outside. It was feminine and expensive-looking and I could smell the scented candles burning inside through the rain when I stepped out of the car. Me and the girls ran in, trying not to get our hair wet. Okay, so, I really didn't care, but Carly had my hand and dragged me into the smelly girly place before I had the chance to enjoy the weather.

Anna started talking to the seamstress while the rest of us sat on a big, cushiony bench. I was pretty comfortable. Put apart the candles and the frills, it wasn't such a bad place. I mean, it wasn't often that a girl like me got to enjoy a fancy place like that.

It was pretty quiet on the bench while Anna talked about lengths and colors and styles. They were flipping through a book now, trying to get an outline on what she wanted. I had occupied myself with counting the ceiling tiles, Carly was scowling at the wall for no reason, and Julie was staring absent mindedly into space. I had reached tile one-hundred fourty-seven when Freddie, Kegan, and Spence walked in through the door, their hair dripping from the outside. I was almost jealous. At least they got a bit of refreshing air before they came into this scent-hater's nightmare.

Freddie took the empty space next to me in a heartbeat, his arm coming possessively around my waist. He was always over protective of me when Kegan was around, but I didn't know why. Kegan only had eyes for Carly. And still, after a month of being with him as a girlfriend, I wasn't sure if he was doing this to prove it to Kegan, or himself.

Spencer glanced at me, smirking at the way Freddie wouldn't let me go before taking a seat next to Julie. Kegan sat next to Carly, but left a space between them. I was almost sure he knew that she was on her time of the month, since he was keeping a safe distance. Smart boy.

"Carly, Sam, Julie! Come look!" I heard Anna call. I stood up, leaving Freddie there on his own, frowning slightly. Carly and Julie got to their feet as well, walking at my pace until we were all staring down at the drawing Anna was pointing at.

The dress looked pretty amazing on the page. The model was shown sitting at a bench with her legs crossed, a bouquet of red roses settled on her lap. The dress was strapless, showing off just enough of the model's bust to make her look attractive, not skanky. It fit perfectly down to her waist, where the forest green material flared out into a skirt that reached down to her ankles. She wore white flats with the dress, and I was thankful for this. Me? Pulling off heels? Yeah, when pigs fly.

"I love it!" Julie squealed. Carly even looked pretty awe-struck. She nodded, but pointed to the chest of the dress. "I don't think I can pull that off," she laughed. "D'you think mine can be pulled in a bit more, so it's more form fitting than fill-in-the-blank?" She smiled to herself. I nodded in agreement. Even though I was more "developed" than Carly, I still didn't have the biggest breasts around.

"I love the color," I commented, tracing the picture with my fingertip. "I'm so sick of seeing pink bridesmaid dresses at weddings. This is nice. I mean, anyone can pull off dark green." Anna smiled up at me. "This is my favorite color," she chimed.

"I think I have enough of these in the back for you three girls today," the seamstress said slowly, glancing at the back room thoughtfully. "I can get your measurements today if you'd like." We all nodded in unison. "Okay, you wait here while I get the dresses. I won't be long," she said hurridly.

I slouched back to my seat next to Freddie, who immediately pulled me back to his protection. I mean, I couldn't help but feel safe with Freddie, even when I didn't need to. Kegan scooted a bit closer to Carly, deciding that she was in a good enough mood to approach now. And Spencer? Well, I couldn't really describe Spencer. Julie had ran off to the back room with Anna to help the woman with the dresses, and Spence looked really uncomfortable sitting there alone.

For the second time in five minutes, I slipped away from Freddie. I slid across the tile floor and sat next to Spencer on the adjacent bench. "Sup, Spence?" I drawled, elbowing him with a smirk. Spencer laughed, running his fingers through his shaggy brown hair.

"Not much, kid. How's the dress?" he asked casually.

I shrugged. "Meh, alright. It's pretty."

"What color?"

"Green."

"Ou. Earthy."

I laughed, nudging him again. "Your woman's gonna look great in it, Shay," I teased.

Spencer rolled his eyes. "I'm looking forward to seeing you and Carly all dressed up. Especially you," he snickered. I narrowed my eyes, pursing my lips in irritation. "The mighty Sam Puckett in a _dress_? I wonder what the boys would say about that?" he laughed loudly, and I had to fight the urge to sock him a good one in the face.

"And the _famous_ Spencer Shay in a tux? With his hair combed? Wow, now I'd _pay_ to see that," I sneered. "Oh, wait. I don't have to!" I cackled, giving his arm a playful punch.

Spencer smirked. "Yeah, but I won't be in a skirt. Like you. Who's gonna be in a skirt," he paused, letting his words sink in. "A girl's skirt, Sam. For girls. Like you, except girlier. Right, Miss Sam? Girlfriend? Girl?"

I rolled my eyes, punching him again.

"Okay, so maybe you don't punch like a girl..." he muttered, rubbing his arm.

"She kisses like one, though. Smells like one. Looks like one," Freddie butt in, smirking at Spencer. "Tastes like one."

Kegan cleared his throat, then chuckled darkly. "Okay, break it up guys. I don't want a movie night repeat."

My face burned bright red at the mention of the movie night. Gee, I didn't even know I _could_ blush.

"Blushes like one, too!" Spencer pointed out with a laugh.

Carly smiled, too. "Yeah, I think I've seen enough tonsil hockey between you two to last me a lifetime."

I noticed Spencer went really stiff at the mention of me and Freddie making out, but I didn't give myself the chance to comment. I snaked back over to Freddie, fitting myself under his arm timidly. Spence just coughed a bit, then looked towards the back room longingly.

Julie and Anna came back, Julie already in her dress.

"The original fits perfect!" she said excitedly. Spencer looked her up and down, nodding in approval. "You look great, baby," he complimented, offering her a smile.

"Thanks," Julie said in a sing-song voice, twirling her skirt. Anna was watching her, tapping her chin.

"Blonde girl, you're next. Come now, I need to pin you," the seamstress said.

"Pin?" I squeaked. Freddie burst into laughter, pushing me to my feet.

"Good luck," he chuckled.

"I'm right behind you, Sam!" Carly giggled, looping her arm through mine.

"You go, girl," Kegan teased.

Spencer didn't even look up.

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**Carly.**

The rest of the day was long, boring, and full of nausea in my case. I insisted on going home, which met the boys' and Sam's agreement. Julie stuck with Anna to pick out flowers, which left me, Sam, Spencer, Freddie, and Kegan. Then Freddie decided to take Sam out for coffee, which left just me, Spence, and Kegan. And then, I started throwing up on the parking lot, and my brother and boyfriend insisted that I went home.

So, two hours later, I was lying in my bed with Kegan sitting at the foot. I was still clutching my stomach, on the edge of puking in the garbage can that Spence left by my bed.

"Carly, you're such a goody two shoes," Kegan said out of nowhere, stifling a laugh.

I looked up, frowning. "How d'you figure that?"

He held up my iPod, wiggling it for me to see what he meant. "You have five hundred songs on this thing, and they're all about falling in love and happiness." I raised my eyebrow, pushing him towards his point. He sighed. "Not a single swear word. Not a mention of sex, or drugs. I mean, your music defines you," he paused, smirking. "And, from your playlists, all I'm getting from you is _innocence_."

I scowled. "What's wrong with being innocent?" I protested.

Kegan's lovely blue eyes widened as he held his hands up defensively. "N-nothing! Nothing's wrong with being innocent!" he said quickly. I smiled, and he let his guard down for a moment. "Y'know, you'd be even hotter as a bad girl," he teased. I laughed sarcastically.

"Yeah, like _that's_ gonna happen!" I snorted. "What do you want me to do? Go get myself inked or something?" I laughed, but stopped when I didn't hear a reply from Kegan. I sat up, staring at him cautiously.

He started to smirk, and my eyes widened. "Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no!" I cried, pulling the sheets up to my chin. "There's no way in hell that you'll get me tattooed!"

Kegan sighed, then stared crawling towards me, his bottom lip thrust out into an adorable pout. "C'mon, Carly," he murmured, ontinuing until he was hovering over me. "Just one little tattoo?"

I shook my head fiercely, trying not to look him in the eyes. Those beautiful... amazing... no! Bad Carly! Bad, bad Carly!

He started leaning down, his lips barely inches from mine. I could feel his breath mixing with mine, almost taste him lips.

Kegan kissed me tenderly, but briefly. "One." Another kiss. "Little." Third one. "Tattoo?" And one for good luck.

I groaned, pushing him away from me. "_Fine_!" I sighed, sneaking one last kiss.

"C'mon, Carly. I know the perfect place. I got mine there!" He smiled broadly, taking my hand and pulling me out of bed.

I held my hand up, ducking my head down to the garbage can to throw up one more time before we left.

"After I brush my teeth," I mumbled, racing to the bathroom.

Spook's used to be a warehouse run by some big drug dealer that was busted six years ago. But, that's beside the point. Spook's was this big, scary-looking tattoo parlor/piercing place. It was run by some old guy named Spook (how creative) who liked to wear sunglasses and didn't ask for a parental consent. Next thing I knew, I was lying on this surgical-like table with my shirt pulled up to my ribs and my pants pulled down to reveal my hips.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," I growled to a smirking Kegan as Spook started fixing things up.

"Are you sure this place is sterile?" I hissed. Kegan merely shrugged, flashing me that devious smile.

"Ready, doll?" Spook grunted. I bit my bottom lip, shooting Kegan a death glare before nodding my head.

He lowed the needle down to my left hip. The buzzing started. The needle touched my skin.

And I passed out.

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**Sam.**

I left Kipper's Kup in tears. I didn't know if they were anger, sorrow, or pain. But they were tears, I knew that much.

That was pretty much all I knew around then, though.

Well, I guess that wasn't true.

I knew that I was confused. I knew that I was pissed off. I knew that I was ready to fuck somebody up until they knew exactly how I felt.

I fell to the ground against Bushwell Plaza, tears rolling onto my palms as I held my head in my hands.

_"Something's wrong, Sam."_

_I looked up from my mochachino, puzzled. "What's eatin' ya, Freddie?"_

_He played with his hands nervously. "It's me... you... us?" He sounded frustrated. Confused._

_I raised an eyebrow curiously. "Where you goin' with this, Benson?" I asked cautiously._

_Freddie looked up from his untouched coffee, his brown eyes deep set with guilt._

_"I love you Sam." he whispered._

_"I love you too, Freddie," I said impatiently. "But I have no idea what you're talking about!"_

_"I think we should break up!" he blurted, and the look in his eyes told me that he regretted even thinking the words._

_I didn't say a word. I didn't finish my mochachino. I didn't look him in the eyes. I didn't hurt him, or myself. I didn't break anything. I didn't do anything at all, really. I just sat there, motionless; hardly breathing._

_Freddie stood up and left, his head hanging down. He flicked out his cell phone before he left. I could tell by the sound that it made when it opened._

I guess I knew one more thing, though.

I knew what a broken heart felt like.

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**Freddie.**

So, it was over. Why I did it, I can't quite explain. I knew that things had changed. I knew that there were so many guys with feelings for Sam, and I was the only one she showed them to. And I knew that I didn't deserve her. Let Kegan have her. Let the guys in school have their slice of perfection. I had already outdone my share.

I collapsed on my couch, my phone held to my ear. I had only dialed the number when I entered the building, but it took me all the way up to my apartment to press the talk button.

The phone rang three times before someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, can you come to my place for a bit? It's really important."

"Freddie, is that you?"

"Yeah. Come over, please? I really need to talk to you, Carly."

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**Carly.**

I kinda passed out. It was no big deal. I got the tattoo, didn't I? And it wasn't that bad. Just a medium sized pink star on my left hip. Not that serious, right? Well, Kegan got his way. He was happy. I was officially "bad", it was all good.

Kegan kissed me good night, whispered his "I love you" in my ear, and left in the taxi. I was lying on my bed, holding my stomach in case the nausea came again when my phone rang. I answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" I yawned.

"Hey, can you come to my place for a bit? It's really imortant." Freddie said quickly on the other end. His voice sounded really strained.

It took me a while to respond. "Freddie, is that you?"

"Yeah. Come over, please? I really need to talk to you, Carly."

I just hung up the phone, and started running down the stairs. Dad and Anna were out to a bar with Julie to talk about more wedding plans. Spencer was in his room. He wouldn't notice my absense for just a minute.

I slipped into Freddie's apartment, and immediately saw him lying on the couch, his eyes red with tears or the furious rubbing that he was doing to them, as if trying to get a tormenting image out of his head. Or maybe both.

"Freddie, what's wrong?" I asked slowly, sitting next to him on the couch.

He looked up at me, and I had to choke back the gasp that fought it's way to my lips. He looked like he was in pain.

"I broke up with Sam," he whispered.

I watched a tear roll down his cheek, dripping off his chin and onto the blue fabric on his shirt.

I didn't speak. I just leaned towards my best friend, and hugged him.

I knew this was going to be a bad day.

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**Spencer.**

It was Saturday night. I usually always got my way on Saturday nights.

And where was Julie? Oh, that's right. Off drinking with my dad and soon-to-be-stepmom. How lovely.

She was probably picking up some idiot right now, trying to get in his pants while I sat here in my dark room glaring at the ceiling.

Fuck Julie. Fuck Saturday nights. Fuck everything.

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**Sam.**

I made my way up the stairs of Bushwell Plaza until I was standing in a hallway that I knew so well. On one side, was the guy that had broken my heart. The other side, the girl that would mend it. The crucial question was: Did I need Freddie, or Carly?

I shook my head, fresh tears rolling down my cheeks.

I turned to the apartment I was standing closest too, opening the door without bothering to knock. I knew Carly never locked it until her dad came home, and this was practically my apartment anyway. Why knock in my own home?

I took three steps into the apartment, then gently closed the door behind me. It closed with a faint click.

I took a deep breath, not thinking things over before I called out in a shaky, terrified voice.

"Spencer?"

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**DUN DUN DUNHHHHHHHHHHHH.  
****You can hate me later.  
****I rather enjoyed this one.  
****I had to pull an all-nighter to write it.  
****So, it's now eight o'clock in the morning, and I'm off to bed.  
****Peace.**


End file.
